Jan Singer’s appointment ends a more than yearlong search for a permanent CEO.

Suzanne Kapner

J.Crew Group Inc. said it hired former Victoria’s Secret executive Jan Singer as its next chief executive, as it seeks to revitalize its namesake brand and reverse a long sales slump.

Ms. Singer will join the closely held company’s board and assume oversight of the J.Crew and J.Crew Factory brands, starting Feb. 2, the company said Tuesday. Her appointment ends a more than yearlong search for a permanent CEO.

The J.Crew brand, with about $1.8 billion in annual sales and 190 stores, has struggled with fashion missteps, along with sizing and quality issues in recent years. Its longtime leader Mickey Drexlerstepped aside as chief executive in 2017.

Mr. Brett had veered from the brand’s preppy image, signed a deal to sell some clothes on
Amazon.com Inc.
and added more lower priced items.

J.Crew’s sales at stores open at least a year fell 2% in the first nine months of the current fiscal year, extending a string of lackluster results.

In her role as CEO of Victoria’s Secret Lingerie, Ms. Singer pushed the brand to move away from its sexy image and introduce bra styles emphasizing comfort and fit. But the unit of
L Brands Inc.
continued to struggle with falling sales. She left in 2018 after about two years in the job.

Ms. Singer, 55 years old, had previously been the CEO of Spanx Inc., a maker of intimate apparel, and spent a decade at
Nike Inc.

Michael Nicholson, who had served as J.Crew’s interim CEO, will return to his previous role as president and chief operating officer.

At J.Crew, Ms. Singer’s mandate is to restore the company to its former success, when it was the go-to place for women to shop for an office blazer or weekend T-shirt, the people said. It got an added boost from former first lady Michelle Obama, who regularly wore its cardigan sweaters, ruffled blouses and tweed skirts.

Much in retailing has changed over the past decade and the specialty stores that once dominated the nation’s malls are disappearing as shoppers buy more online.

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“J.Crew still has cachet,” said Pam Danziger, the president of Unity Marketing, a market research firm. “But that cachet is with older customers. Can it present the brand in a compelling way for the next generation?”

J.Crew’s sister chain Madewell has done a better job of connecting with teens and 20 somethings by offering more casual clothes at more affordable prices. Libby Wadle will continue as president and CEO of Madewell, the people said.

Madewell’s sales have surged and J.Crew Group, which is owned by private-equity firms TPG Capital and Leonard Green & Partners, plans to spin it off into a separate publicly traded company.

In September, J.Crew Group filed securities documents for the initial public offering of Madewell’s parent, Chinos Holdings Inc. It plans to use the proceeds to pay down debt.

J.Crew Group lost $80.3 million in the nine months ended Nov. 2, compared with a loss of $45.7 million a year earlier. Revenue totaled $1.79 billion in the nine months, driven by gains at Madewell, where sales rose 14% to $424.3 million.